Lightweight cryptography for low cost RFID: A new direction in cryptography

Abstract

The primary functionality of a modern radio frequency identification (RFID) system is that of identifying objects through a uniquely formatted number kept on each label (also called a tag) as a data field identifier with the associated data being stored in a backend database system. The unique object identifier must have a global scope that is capable of identifying all objects uniquely and acting as a pointer to information stored about the object somewhere over a network. Here we define the term “networked low cost RFID systems” as RFID systems based on passive RFID technology using microelectronic transponders. In such a system the readers (also called interrogators) are connected to a backend network. Conceptually, the backend network can be described as an intelligent ubiquitous infrastructure that automatically and seamlessly links physical objects to the global Internet. The network of physical objects is achieved by integrating a tag, or an RFID label, into each object. The system network objects seamlessly by communicating with these labels using a network of readers (Ranasinghe et al., 2005). The safe delivery of pharmaceuticals and health care as well as homeland security are all areas that can significantly benefit from adopting RFID technology. Although the impact of RFID technology on these applications is immense, it is not possible to engage the technology because of its many shortcomings, especially the lack of methods and infrastructure for providing electronic information security (e-security) to networked low cost RFID technology. Although shortcomings of low cost RFID systems have been detailed in publications elsewhere (Juels, 2006; Ranasinghe and Cole, 2006a, b), solutions have not been forthcoming. Networked RFID systems are now a pervasive form of computing. In the context of security and privacy, the most threatening (to privacy) and vulnerable (to insecurity) are the low cost RFID systems. Modern cryptographic mechanisms are unsuitable for use in securing RFID systems because of the lack of resources available on RFID microelectronic transponders, and a novel avenue in cryptography with new thinking is required. A new view on the development of cryptography to address the security needs of networked resource constrained devices, relevant developments in the area of cryptography, and future avenues of promising research are presented in this chapter.